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I was thrilled to see a review in the "Books et al" section of Science Magazine last week! Here is what senior editor Michael A. Funk had to say:
“In Wildscape, Nancy Lawson guides readers through a sensory wonderland that transcends the usual human inclinations and concerns. Instead, one learns about the curious preferences of cuckoos for spiky, stinging caterpillars; the fetid allure stinkhorn mushroom spores have for passing flies; and the fog of sensory confusion wrought by chemicals in automobile exhaust and lawn treatments. For anyone who relishes a walk in the woods, this book offers fascinating new rabbit holes to hop down.
The book is organized around the five main human senses, but the stories inevitably burst out of these categories. For example, a good portion of the chapter on touch is dedicated to how animals build homes that comfort and protect. Sight becomes a vehicle to discuss how human preferences for tidy landscapes distort or even extinguish the messy cycles of growth and consumption that sustain ecosystems. Not all stories about the senses are pretty. Parasites and parasitoids, such as wasps whose larvae consume their hosts from the inside out, star in several chapters, as they have developed many ingenious tricks to find and exploit their hosts’ senses.
Lawson includes quotes and comments from professional scientists, naturalists, and writers that add additional perspectives and highlight how current research is addressing questions close to home. She walks readers through her own homegrown investigation into the mysterious behavior of butterflies that gather alkaloids from the damaged leaves of certain plants, possibly as protection against infection. Her story highlights the importance of sharing observations and keeping an open and curious mind, a theme that resonates throughout each chapter. Although the concepts and writing style are appropriate for middle and high school–age students, even experienced naturalists will find new and exciting facts to ponder, and the excellent photographs (most captured by the author) are a delight to take in as well.”
(Note: While about three-quarters of the photos in the book were taken by me, I was very lucky to also be able to highlight the contributions of my photographer friends, including those of Toni Genberg of ChooseNatives.org, whose squirrelly photo the Science editors chose for their layout! Thank you, Toni!)
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